Fusible device for automatic fire extinguishers or appliances.



A. J. LOEPSINGER. FUSIBLE DEVICE FOR AUTOMATIC FIRE EXTINGUISHERS 0R APPLIANCES.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV.16, 1909.

Patented Nov. 17, 1914.

INVENTUR.

WITNEESEEE. 4

AT T E] F? N E Y rHE NORRIS PETERS Coy. PHOYO-LITHU WASHING VON. I) I.

by fusible solder,

rrn s'ra s a rnnr orricn ALBERT J. LOE9SINGER, OF PROVIDENCE, RI-IODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL FIRE EXTINGUISI-IER COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

Specification. of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 1%, 1914.

Application filed November 16, 1909. Serial No. 528,295.

1! '0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALBERT J. LonPsINonR, oi the city and county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fusible Devices for Autrnnatic l ireExtinguishers or Appliances; and I do hereby declare the following specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same, to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

So called fusible links, or more properly links composed of two more members united are commonly employed in the fire extinguishing art for holding the valve of an automatic sprinkler closed, for holding lire doors, and for other purposes.

The present invention relates to fusible devices of this character, and has for its ob ject to provide a fusible device of improved construction. i

To this end the invention consists pri-.

marily of a li'usible device the two main members of which are each provided with laterally projecting: flanges.

The invention further consists of a :t'usible device the two main members of which are each provided with a semi-circular recess and with a laterally projecting llaingc at one or both ends of such rccoss.

The invention further consists in the features of novelty and construction hereinafter described and claimed.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View ot my improved fusible device, and Fig. 2 a central longitudinal section of the same.

The device comprises two overlapping members A, A, and an interposed part .1), preferably in the form of a hollow cylinder or roller. These parts are all united by an easily fusible solder.

Each of the members A is provided wit-h a semicircular recess to receive the roller B, and each of said members is also provided at its opposite edges with laterally projecting flanges a, a. As shown inthe d-awings, these flanges are located one at each end of the semi-circular recess a, said flanges being preferably more or less semicircular in form, as shown. If desired, however, said flanges can be otherwise located, or each flange may extend a larger part of the length of the member A. So also, if desired,

bers A will be preferably more or less squared or otherwise suitably formed.

The operation of the device will be readily understood by persons skilled in the art.

When the device is subjected to the action of. heat and the solder is thereby :tused the iullinp' strain to which the device is sub jocted when used as a link, or the pushing strain to which it subjected when used as a strut, will. cause the semi-circular portions oi. the members A to ride up the curved surface of the roller 13 on opposite sides thereof, and the wedginp; action therebyproduc d will cause the members A to be laterally swaratod from \ach other, which will result in rupturing; the solder and thus release the members A. and the parts which may be connected therewith. In addition to the wedging action oi the roller B above referred to, there is also a certain rolling action of said roller which serves to increase the soparatiinr movement of the members A and corrcspondiugly Facilitate the rupture of thc soldor-joint. The employment of the flanges a, c acmmpaniod by seve'al i1nportant advantages. In the first place said flanges serve to strengthen the members A, and especially when said members are pr0- vided with the semicircular recesses to receive the roller B. Thus when a member A is provided with such scmi-circular recess there is a tendency, especially under the action of a pulling; min, to straighten more or less the semicircular portion of such member, accompanied by a corresponding tendency to rupture the solder joint. The flanges a, (I serve to strengthen the members A and to resist the tendency of the semi-circular portion to straighten under strain. Thus by the employment of such flanges the device will be able, when the members are made of material of a given thickness, to

withstand a greater strain without weakening or destroying the solder-joint than would be the case it such flanges were not present, or on the other hand, in order to withstand a given strain, the members A when provided with such flanges may be made of a correspondingly thinner material, thereby reducing the cost of the device. Moreover a reduction in the thickness of the material of which the members A are composed not only serves to thus reduce the cost of the device, but also serves to increase its efliciency, as the thinner the material of the members A the more sensitive will the device be to the action of heat upon the fusible solder. Another advantage resultingfrom the-employment of said flanges is the increased sensitiveness of the device to the action of heat upon the fusible solder due to the increased area exposed to the heat which is provided by such flanges. In this connection it will be noted that said. flanges are so disposed that the heat has direct access to both sides of said flanges as well as to the edges thereof.

As the result of the construction above described, as will be seen, the improved link or device is on the one hand stronger and able to withstand greater strains without injury to the solder-joint when there is no fire, while on the other hand said device is more sensitive to the action of heat and thus more eflicient or more prompt in action when a tire occurs.

It. will be understood, as above pointed out, that the device may be used either as a link to resist a pulling strain, or as a strut to resist a pushing strain or thrust.

It will be further understood that the flanged construction of the two main members A may be employed to advantage in a device comprising only such two main members soldered together and in which the third member or roller B is omitted, although the advantages attending the employment of such flanges is more fully availed of where said thirdmember or roller B is employed, and the main members A are provided with recesses to receive the same. These recesses, it will be understood, while preferably semicircular, may, if desired, be of some other shape in cross-section. So also, while it is preferred that the roller B shall be hollow, said roller may, if desired, be made solid.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A fusible device for use in automatic fire extinguisher apparatus, comprising two members, each or Said members being provided with a transverse recess and with projecting flanges at the opposite ends of said recess.

2. A fusible device for use in automatic fire extinguishing apparatus comprising two main members each provided with a recess, and a third member interposed between said main members and located in said recesses,

each of said main members being provided with projecting flanges at its opposite edges.

3. A fusible device for use in automatic fire extinguishing apparatus comprising two main members each provided with a recess, and a third member interposed between said main members and located in said recesses, each of said main members being provided with projecting flanges at the opposite ends of the recess 7 therein.

4:. A fusible device for use in automatic fire extinguishing apparatus comprising two main members each provided with a semi circular recess, and a third member in the form of a roller interposed between said main members and located in said recesses, each of said main members being provided with projecting flanges at the opposite ends of the semi-circular recess therein ALBERT J LOEPSINGER.

Witnesses "W. H. THURSTON, J. H. TI-IURSTON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

